AFRICA: UN: More than 3 Million HIV Infections in 2005 Deepen Africa's AIDS Crisis

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

AFRICA: UN: More than 3 Million HIV Infections in 2005 Deepen Africa's AIDS Crisis

Associated Press (12.04.05) - Monday, December 05, 2005
Bashir Adigun

This week in Abuja, Nigeria, a conference will bring together scientists, activists and politicians to develop new strategies to fight HIV/AIDS. "AIDS continues to outstrip Africa's efforts to contain it," said UNAIDS chief Peter Piot, who noted that 3.2 million Africans have become HIV-infected this year, the highest number in any single year. Half of the new infections are in young people, Piot said Sunday at the conference opening.

Expanding continent-wide access to AIDS prevention and treatment will be the focus of a special session beginning Monday and hosted by Olusegun Obasanjo, Nigeria's president.

The African conference was first held in 1986. Since the most recent conference, held in Kenya in 2003, UN figures show the amount of money available to fight HIV/AIDS has tripled, the number of people in treatment has grown six-fold, and Kenya and Zimbabwe have joined Uganda on the list of countries where infection rates are falling.

"Our priority now must be to ensure that money and resources available for AIDS reaches those who need it most," said Piot. The conference ends Friday.
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